I hereby challenge you to think of a better rags-to-riches story than that of the life of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Despite having been born into a very modest household in Austria, Arnold always aspired to greatness. He moved to America at the age of 21 with a limited English vocabulary, and at age 23 (1970) won the Mr. Olympia title in New York (a title which he would proceed to win six more times). His fame as a bodybuilder however, was not enough to quench his thirst for success.
Arnold entered into Hollywood and gradually became an action superstar, starring in such memorable titles as The Terminator, Predator, Total Recall, and The Running Man. All the while, Arnold was utilizing capital from both his entrepreneurial ventures and winnings from competitions and wisely investing it.
At the age of 30, Arnold was a millionaire! But, he did not stop there. He went on to marry John F. Kennedy’s niece, Maria Shriver, and in 2003 ran for and ultimately became the Governor of California.
In 2011, after leaving the governor’s office, it came to the media’s attention that Schwarzenegger had fathered a child with the family’s housekeeper, Mildred Baena, 14 years prior and that as a result of discovering this, Maria Shriver had terminated their relationship.
Thus began the public outcry that typically follows word of any such scandal. Politicians and celebrities alike were out for blood.
Following the the aftermath, Arnold did an interview on 60 Minutes and released a memoir entitled Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story. Both of which address his failures, specifically the affair with Mildred among others, but simultaneously reminded the audience of his success.
When asked about the affair with Mildred during the interview, Arnold said “It was terrible. I inflicted tremendous pain on Maria and unbelievable pain on the kids.”
I am by no means saying that I condone Arnold’s adultery. I will however state that I respect how he responded to the publicity crisis that ensued. He took responsibility in the end for his actions, reinforced his accomplishments, and moved on with his career.
Since these events took place Arnold has starred in a handful of films (with more to follow), been tapped as the future host of The Celebrity Apprentice, and declared the executive editor of some established fitness magazines.
Love him or hate him, there is no denying that Arnold is fulfilling the iconic promise made in The Terminator.
I’d like to end with a quote from the comedic genius Bill Burr [Warning: NSFW]:
“This guy, he’s not a great man anymore; Terminator doesn’t count, is that what the **** you’re telling me, because he ****ed Alice, really? He’s still not a great man, because he did that, then that’s – the whole thing is over. Anybody here think they could move to Austria, learn the language, become famous for working out, then be a movie star, then marry into their royalty, and hold public office. How many life times would you need? I’m on my third attempt at Rosetta Stone Spanish, right?”
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